Exterior Symbols
The CHURCH itself is a symbol. It is the physical symbol
of the body of believers who gather on a regular basis to affirm their faith and proclaim
what is their belief. The manner in which we keep the grounds and the facility also
proclaims the importance of our faith.
The tower is a symbol and calls to mind the name of God who
is a strong tower (Prov. 18:10) to whom we should come for refuge.
The steeple is an outstanding feature
of the landscape. The steeple or spire, pointing toward the blue of heaven, is a silent
witness to the one true God whom the people come to worship. Some spires culminate in the
cross at the top.
Our spire lifts up a LATIN CROSS which
is the most common of all crosses. It can be seen from afar and announces that a faith
community is present. This cross is the closest to Jesus' cross. It is an announcement to
all who see it - that there is place where we lift up Christ in our midst. It signifies
that God loves the world and gave his life for it. It reminds us that God is reconciling
the world to himself through worship, meditation, prayers, and hymns of the people in the
church below.
The bells in the tower announce when a
service is about to begin and calls and beckons to all to gather to hear God's Word,
receive his gifts of grace and then carry it into the world.
The
cross that sets on top of the roof of the church has within it the CHI RHO.
Chi-Rho (in Greek these letters which look like an "X" and a "P") form
a proper abbreviation of the name Christ (The Anointed One). They are actually the first
two letters of the word "Christ" in Greek.
The steps or stairs signify the
Christian pilgrimage, or the pathway of the Christian who seeks to worship God and to
learn his ways.
The doors that welcome you contain the
Latin Cross again, and are clear. Jesus said: "I am the door" (John
10:9). It means that the message we have to proclaim contains no secrecy, all are welcome,
and we invite you to join us in whatever is meaningful, helpful, and fulfilling to you.
They
invite us all to
advance into the church to worship, learn, and serve.
As you enter through our doors, you enter into the Narthex.
It is the main entrance where our fellowship, welcoming, and greetings to one another
takes place. If you were to face the doors you came through you will find four windows,
two on each side. These windows represent the four Evangelical Gospels.
We invite you to continue the tour inside our beautiful church.
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